We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve access to justice — let’s not squander it

In Arizona, the dream of the digital court traces back a generation, when the court record began to transition from paper to digital.

The effort catapulted forward during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Arizona courts implemented, out of necessity, digital alternatives to in-person hearings and paper exhibits.

Almost 75 percent of courts still do not use digital evidence management systems, a study says.

Samuel A. Thumma: We have come too far and learned too much to go back to the way things were before the pandemic.

Digital innovation has not stopped, and will continue to evolve, he says.

He says we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to significantly enhance access to justice.